The cochlear implant program in Budapest commenced in 1985.
Over 60 cochlear implant operations have been conducted, including procedures on children.
A variety of implantation techniques and speech processor technologies have been employed over time.
Purpose of the Study:
To review the historical development and outcomes of the cochlear implant program in Budapest.
To analyze the diverse range of cochlear implant devices, surgical techniques, and speech processing strategies utilized.
To evaluate the audiological performance of cochlear implant recipients, including speech understanding and sound field thresholds.
Main Methods:
Retrospective analysis of 60 cochlear implant surgeries performed between 1985 and the present.
Categorization of procedures by patient age (pediatric vs. adult), implantation type (primary vs. reimplantation), and surgical approach (extracochlear vs. intracochlear).
Review of speech processor evolution, from early digital pulsatile systems to current Continuous Interleaved Sampling (CIS) strategy-based processors.
Inclusion of audiological assessments, such as speech understanding tests and warble tone sound field thresholds, for performance evaluation.
Main Results:
Sixty cochlear implant operations were performed, with 14 on children (51 primary, 9 reimplantations).
Diverse surgical techniques (extracochlear promontory, extracochlear round window, intracochlear) and speech processors (digital pulsatile, analog, CIS strategy) were utilized.
Positive outcomes included contralateral hearing improvement in several cases and experience with unique patient profiles (deaf-blind child, prelingual twins).
Conclusions:
The Budapest cochlear implant program has accumulated extensive experience with various devices, techniques, and patient populations since 1985.
The evolution of speech processing strategies, particularly the adoption of CIS, has likely contributed to improved outcomes.
Comprehensive audiological evaluation, including sound field testing, is crucial for assessing cochlear implant efficacy.